Of course I knew you would be glad to do that and I
thought if you really meant in your heart that I was the one to
complete your iris procession, it would be a comfort to me during
the hard work and the lonesome days to have it put in
two-syllable English. Marian said that was the only real way--"
"And Marian is eminently correct. You will have to give me an
ordinary lifetime, Linda, in which to try to make you understand
exactly what this means to me. Perhaps I'll even have to invent
new words in which to express myself."
"Oh, that's all right," said Linda. "It means a lot to me too.
I can't tell you how much I think of you. That first day, as
soon as I put down the Cotyledon safely and tucked in my blouse,
I would have put my hand in yours and started around the world,
if you had asked me to. I have the very highest esteem for you,
Peter."
"Esteem, yes," said Peter slowly. "But Linda-girl, isn't the
sort of alliance I am asking you to enter with me usually based
on something a good bit stronger than 'esteem'?"
"Yes, I think it is," said Linda. "But you needn't worry. I
only wanted the comfort of knowing that I was not utterly alone
again, save for Katy. I'll stick to my book and to my fight for
Senior honors all right."
Peter was blinking his eyes and fighting to breathe evenly. When
he could speak he said as smoothly as possible: "Of course,
Linda. I'll do your proof for you and you may put all your time
on class honors.
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